After pushing electrification with the environment in mind, Volkswagen goes on a diet in the name of sustainability. Upon returning from vacation, the workers of the company canteen of the Wolfsburg headquarters risk no longer finding the beloved currywurst, the classic frankfurter, our sausage so to speak. The conversion to reduce the carbon footprint in view of total neutralization (including through compensation projects) includes a decidedly more vegetarian diet.
An internal note taken from the major German newspapers reveals that from the 150 recipes on the Volkswagen menu, meat is destined to disappear completely and fish will only be added occasionally. Apparently the manufacturer has met the requests of employees who would have asked for dishes with more alternatives, including vegan ones. The request is consistent with the new “green” strategy of the brand and the group: the breeding of animals for slaughter accounts for at least 15% of the total greenhouse gas emissions produced by man. Eliminating meat consumption means improving the company’s environmental balance. Which, in fact, has been producing traditional currywurst through its own butcher’s shop for years: in 2015 it had marketed 7.2 million, compared to 5.81 million cars (6.8 million against 6.2 million in 2019, last year pre-Covid when they were accompanied by 550 tons of ketchup. In reality, at least for the moment, workers with a penchant for frankfurters will only have to cross the street and queue at another canteen, where the conventional currywurst will continue to be served.
Volkswagen’s vegetarian turnaround is in step with the times, as there is growing attention across the country for a different diet. But in Lower Saxony, where Volkswagen is based, the number of pigs exceeds that of the population, albeit with a ratio close to 1: 1. Porsche, the safe of the group, had already intervened on the canteen with artificial intelligence to optimize the menus and reduce scraps and waste. “We also offer significantly more vegetarian dishes than before,” CEO Oliver Blume said in an interview with the newspaper Die Zeit. The only ones who are not put on a diet continue to be the shareholders.